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HOW TO KEEP YOUR PHONE BATTERY HEALTHY

A doodle of a dying battery that says
 
Where would modern life be without Lithium-ion batteries? We’d still be printing out our MapQuest directions, getting kicked off AIM when mom makes a phone call, and reading shampoo bottles on the john for entertainment. No thank you.
 
 
But the bummer deal is, like all good things that come to an end, Li-ion batteries eventually start giving up the ghost. So how do you keep your phone from giving up on you before you give up on it and go for an upgrade? We’ve compiled a list of the top tips to keep your phone’s battery kickin’ as long as possible.
 
 
 
  1. A partial charge is the healthier choice
  2. Don’t completely drain your battery between charges
  3. Keep your phone away from extreme temperatures
  4. Don’t make your phone do any heavy lifting during a charge
  5. Avoid super-speedy power-ups when possible
 
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1.) 100% is for suckers

 
Forget what your parents told you. Getting an A+ shouldn’t always be your goal. When it comes to battery longevity, those who consistently hit the 20-80% charged zone are high achievers. Turns out you should aim for a B- at best. (Take that, Ma!)
 
Opt for more frequent, smaller charges to help your battery live to a ripe old age.
 
An iPhone dressed as a child pinning its B- test proudly onto the refrigerator

 

2.) Zero ain’t no hero

 
On the other side of that coin is NOT waiting until your battery completely dies before giving it some juice. Put yourself in your phone’s shoes. Would you rather be rushed to a hospital with a weak pulse or completely flatlining? Yeah, we thought so.
 
An smartphone with an almost-dead battery plugged into a charging cable

 

It can be hard to notice when your phone's lifeline has entered the red zone when your attention is divided and you're multitasking all day. Keeping your charging cables handy and organized with a system like our Cable Wrangler will help you win that quickdraw battle well before your phone knocks on death’s door.

 

3.) Keep it cool, baby

 

Who doesn’t enjoy some fun in the sun with your phone by your side? Welp, turns out your phone needs no Vitamin D. In fact, heat is the enemy to a healthy battery. So is extreme cold. If you’ve never experienced your phone refusing to cooperate and shutting itself down until it cools off, then consider yourself lucky.

Don’t fall asleep sunbathing while scrolling, don’t use your phone as a coaster for your hot Starbucks or cherry Slurpee, and don’t leave your phone in your car if it’s hot-as-Hades or chilly-as-shaved-chinchilla. Basically, if you wouldn’t do it to your dog or kid, don’t do it to your smartphone.
 
 
An iPhone sick in bed with a thermometer and an icepack

 

4.) Tortoise beats hare

 
Don’t get us wrong, there is a time and place for a quick n’ dirty charge. We’ve all been in the position of only having a mere 5% just minutes before a night on the town. In times like these, by all means, use a lightning-fast charger.
 
But unless you want to watch your battery's lifespan slowly fade away like E.T., slow and steady wins the race. Opt for a wireless charger that trickles your device back to life while you multi-task. Just be sure to keep an eye on it and pop it off the charger before you accidentally commit the first cardinal sin on our battery-health list.
 

 

5.) Lighten the parasitic load

 
Picture this: You’re laying in bed, covered in Flamin’ Hot Cheeto dust, binging your 6th straight hour of The Office and you notice that your battery is deep in the danger zone (that’s what she said). So you grab your charging cable, plug ‘er on in, and keep on streaming cuz you can’t stand not knowing if Jim and Pam will finally get together (even though you’ve seen the entire series approximately 582 times.) Sound familiar?
 
TBH...that’s not the best. No, not The Office (that is the best), but charging your battery while giving your phone’s processor a workout.

 

 
Streaming videos or playing games while charging your phone is what’s called “parasitic load” and it’s not so awesome for the lifespan of your battery. It’s kinda like asking you to juggle bowling balls while running on a treadmill. You’d not only over-exert yourself and most certainly get very injured in the process.
 
General browsing isn’t as taxing but, when possible, just allow your phone to focus on charging and charging alone.

 

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Like treating yourself to that double-scoop ice cream cone, opting for a ultra-fast charge or plugging your phone in during an Among Us tournament isn’t going to push it past the point of no return. Everything in moderation. But if you stick to these top five healthy battery habits, you and your smartphone should live a long, happy life together.